


It's a Hard Knock Life (Sometimes)

by ladyjax



Category: Leverage
Genre: Canon Character of Color, Female Character of Color, Gift Exchange, Kidfic, Multi, Polyamory, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-17 23:33:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13087761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyjax/pseuds/ladyjax
Summary: When Parker takes in a kid in need, adjustments are in order.





	It's a Hard Knock Life (Sometimes)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [poppetawoppet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/poppetawoppet/gifts).



 

Parker put the bowl of soup and small plate of bread down and nudged it towards the pair of mitten-covered hands that rested on top of the bar. Dark brown eyes flicked down at the food and back up at her face.

"You can eat that," Parker said brightly. "Ernesto's soup is almost as good as Eliot's."

"Which one is he?" the girl asked suspiciously.

Parker leaned forward and rested her folded arms atop the bar before turning towards where Alec and Eliot were standing talking in the doorway. They'd taken a look at Parker and her guest when they came in and parked themselves there. "The one with the hair," she said. "He owns this place. With me. Oh, and with Hardison. We own it together." She looked from the soup to back to her guest. "Try it."

The girl pulled off her mittens revealing small brown hands and placed to the side before a suspicious nose dipped towards the steaming bowl.

"Just try a little." Parker thought about all the times Eliot worked with her on trying something new. "If you don't like it, we can try something else."

A spoon slipped into the bowl then stirred slowly before a cautious sip was taken. "Well?"

The only answer Parker received was a shrug before the soup was being eaten with gusto. She recognized the posture: one arm hooked around the bowl protectively as food gets shoveled into your mouth before someone can take it from you. She'd done it herself a few times before she took off to the streets.

"Parker. Got a minute?"

The spoon stilled.

"Don't worry," Parker cocked her head towards Alec. "We're just going to talk." She raised an eyebrow. "You gonna stay this time?"

A sullen "Maybe" was the only answer before the girl started in on her meal again. As Parker followed Alec towards the back offices, she tapped Amy on the shoulder and said, "If she wants more,"

"Gotcha, boss." Amy said cheekily. Parker rolled her eyes and went on her way. She'd half dreaded this talk ever since her boys had been gone. Might as well get it over with.

Eliot had gathered beer and snacks and laid them out in the conference room. He handed her a plate with meat and crackers and paused to kiss her cheek before straddling a chair on one side of the table. Alec turned the pub cameras on and zeroed in on their guest. It was clear that Amy had gotten the girl another bowl of soup and more bread; the earlier headlong first rush settling to a slow and steady. "We go away for two weeks to help Peggy deal with her show; she says hi by the way, and we come back to you feeding a kid." Alec nudged Parker affectionately. "Are we collecting orphans?"

"Watch," Parker said quietly. Soup finished, the girl tugged a cap over thick Afro puffs before buttoning her coat and putting on her gloves. She slid off the bar stool, careful to weave around the customers and out the door.

"What's going on, Parker?" Eliot asked. Parker hugged her middle and sighed.

"After you and Alec left, Lea and Ana from Bright Horizons came in and asked for my help."

Bright Horizons was one of the many agencies that worked to help Portland’s burgeoning homeless population. The community was much like any other major metropolitan area: long time locals who were interspersed with those who came from other states hoping for a better opportunity. The trio had met the two volunteers when they came by soliciting donations for their homeless feeding program from the neighborhood restaurants. Alec, Parker and Eliot were more than happy to contribute. It was no real stretch for the kitchen staff to package whatever leftover food was on hand when it was the pub's turn on the rotation.

Alec scooted closer to Parker and she gratefully leaned against him. "We haven't worked with kids in a while. What's going on?"

"Her name is Shamika Jones. Ana told me that she and her mom, Shanae, haven’t been in the area all that long. Maybe a couple of months. They were staying at the camp near the river.”

Alec tapped away at his laptop. "I'll check police records for the name," he said.

"I'm not clear on the whole story but mom got caught up with some guy who got in trouble with the cops.” Parker continued. “That left Shamika on her own.”

“Found her.”

Alec pulled the record up and transferred it to the main screen. “Shanae Marie Jones, 32, late of Los Angeles, California.” The police blotter picture did Shamika’s mother no favors; she wore a resigned look and what had probably once been health dark skin held an ashy pall. “She’s waiting to be arraigned as an accessory to a robbery. No known drug problems but the boyfriend is definitely a piece of work.”

“Any word on Shamika?” Eliot asked. Alec shook his head.

“No. And I don’t know if it’s because she just didn’t care or if she didn’t want Shamika in the system. Either way, this is a mess.”

“It’s a mess we can help with,” Parker interjected. She got up and walked closer to the monitor, staring at the woman on the screen. “I’ve gotten this far with Shamika. She trusts me, or at least as much as she can trust anyone right now.” Spinning back around, she put her hands on her hips and stared at Alec and Eliot.

Eliot rubbed his hand over his face and considered what he was going to say next. Even though he'd left home of his own volition, deep inside he'd always known that he could, if he needed to, go back to Oklahoma. That had never been an option for Alec and Parker. They knew the foster care system all too well. Alec had at least lucked out with his Nana but Parker learned pretty early that the only person she could rely on was herself.

"What do we have to offer?” he asked. “We’re still running Leverage International. Still got cases even with the running the brew pub.”

Alec folded his arms. “He’s got a point, babe. Then there’s the fact that we talked about not having kids. I thought you were okay with it.” Parker strode over and smacked her hand on the table, startling both men.

"We're not HAVING a kid. This one is all ready to go," Parker said eagerly. "All half grown and everything."

This being Parker logic, it actually sort of made sense.

“We know what it’s like not to have a home and make one. We’re pretty smart both separately and together. Shamika’s not a baby, so we don’t have to change diapers,” Parker was ticking off these points with her fingers. “Alec can figure out the paperwork. To make it legal and everything, at least temporarily. Until we find out what’s going on with her mom.”

Eliot pinched the bridge of his nose as Alec said, “I could...sort of look at what it would take to make the emergency foster care paperwork look legit.”

“What about school?” Eliot asked. “We’re probably looking at the fall for her to actually go which means we’d be handling it here.”

“There’s online school,” Alec said, his voice drifting off when Eliot threw him a look.

Parker clapped her hands. “Yes! We can do this. What is that thing people say? That village thing?”

“We’re not a village, Parker,” Eliot said wearily. “More like a bunch of aged out mercs.”

“And we’re going to try and raise a kid. That’s provided she even agrees to it,” Alec said. He got up from his seat and pulled out his cell phone.

“Who’re you calling?”

“We’re gonna need all the help we can get,” he replied as he dialed. Bringing the phone to his ear, he smiled as the call connected. “Hey, Nana. Yeah, I’m fine. Mmmm hmm, they’re fine too. Listen, I need to ask you something...”

**  
A few days and some dedicated searching by Parker resulted in Shamika being coaxed back to the pub for a chat.

The basic advice from Hardison’s Nana boiled down to: "Don't make that little girl feel cornered. Make your offer and get out of the way." Alec conveniently let her think they’d qualified to provide emergency foster care. “I’m not lying to her. She’d know it the minute I opened my mouth,” he’d said at the time.

They’d arranged for the meeting to take place late in the afternoon on a slow day. Shamika had just one bag and when she slid into the booth, she dropped it beneath her feet, keeping it close. She opened her coat but didn’t take it off, stuffing her mittens and her hat in the pockets.

Amy brought a burger and fries and set it in front of her along with silverware, and smiled at Shamika before she left. Alec and Parker sat in the booth across from Shamika while Eliot pulled up a chair and turned it around so he could straddle it.

“I...we, wanted to help you out, if you were willing,” Parker began.

"You're perverts, right?" Shamika broke in suspiciously.

"What the...," Alec sputtered. "How old are you?”

“Twelve,” she replied.

“And what do you know about perverts?”

Shamika shrugged. “I know enough.” She reached out and picked up the burger, taking a big bite and chewing.

Alec rolled his eyes. “Well, we're not perverts. We,” he motioned to the three of them, “We help people. Clearly, you've been willing to come here and get a meal now and then. You know Parker. Has anyone tried to do anything to you while you were here?"

Shamika shook her head. "No, but that doesn't mean you won't."

"Look, kid..."

"Shamika. I've got a name. You can use it."

Eliot looked at Parker who gave him a quick thumbs up and cheese eating grin.

"Seriously?"

"You're doing great," That from Alec.

Eliot settled down and leaned in close. "We're offering a place to stay and three square. Until we figure out how to get you registered for school, you'll hang out here. Learn some stuff."

"You get your own room," Parker added quickly. "With a door that locks."

That got Shamika's attention. "For real?" Parker nodded. "If I wanna leave, you won't stop me, right?"

"No, but if you decide you're going to do that, you have to tell one of us," Alec held up his hand. "It's only fair."

She took another bite of the burger and chewed thoughtfully. Eliot got up, grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge along with a Coke and set them down on the table. He nudged the soda in Shamika's direction and she took it.

"Lemme see the room."

Their flat across the street was comfortably large for the three of them. They’d renovated lightly after they’d moved in, enlarging the master bedroom and bath to accommodate them. Alec confined his computers to one room and Parker had established herself in a converted storage space on their building’s roof. The room they had for Shamika was much smaller and the flat’s previous owner had used it for storage but it had a window with a view towards the river. A quick trip to IKEA and they’d outfitted it with a bed, dresser and a desk with very simple bedding.

Shamika walked in, bag over her shoulder. Parker followed but not too closely. She rocked on her heels as she watched the girl take in the furnishings and then turn in a slow circle until her eyes found Parker.

“For real, I can stay?” The earlier tough tone had given way to a tentative inquiry.

“You can,” Parker bit her lip. “For what it’s worth, I didn’t have a really good beginning. And I didn’t get help until it was almost too late. So I know a little bit of what you’re up against.”

Shamika blew out a breath then sat down on the bed, slipping her bag off. She didn’t look at Parker.

“Can you close the door, please?”

Parker nodded. She pulled the door closed and listened as the lock clicked into place.

**

From her spot at the end the bar, Shamika watched as Eliot finished his conversation with an older couple who looked like they were in some sort of distress.

The wife (Shamika figured that's who the lady was) had spent a good deal of the conversation crying but finally eked out a smile by the end. When they left, the husband's arm around his wife's shoulders, Eliot got up and walked over.

"What's was up with them?" She'd lost the sullen attitude months ago and was honestly curious.

"They have an issue that they need help with." He looked down at the pad of paper in front of her and Shamika handed it over with a sigh. Though she did most of her homework assignments via her online school portal, Eliot assigned essays once he realized that Shamika could practically inhale books at the library. The extra effort would pay off once she started at the local school in the fall.

Eliot's eyes skimmed the short essay that she'd written and handed it back. "Not bad. Have Amy take a look when you see her." He kissed the top of her head and chuckled at her grimace, "Gonna be gone for a few days. Mind Alec and Parker," he threw over his shoulder before heading back into the kitchen.

It wasn't the first time Eliot had done that. People came to the pub, looking for Parker, Alec or Eliot. Depending on the issue, they'd disappear for a few days; maybe just one or a pair, and then come back.

There was one night Eliot came back pretty battered and Alec had sent her to bed. She cracked her door open just enough to see Parker wiping Eliot’s face with a warm washcloth and Alec sorting through a first aid kit. The fierce bruising on Eliot’s torso was enough for Shamika to close her door and go straight to bed.

Strange.

**  
"So, if you tweak this bit of code right here," Alec reached over and tapped on Shamika's keyboard before pointing to the screen in front of her. "That changes the entire sequence."

Shamika keyed in a few more lines then hit enter. "You've been doing this a long time."

Alec nodded. "Since I was eleven. Nana sent me to the Boys and Girls Club so I could learn about computers and stuff. Age of the geek, baby." He held out a fist and she bumped it with her own. He started to say more when one of the larger monitors started to flash with a red warning light.

"What's that?"

"That is something I need to take care of real quick," Alec replied, his eyes glued to the screen, fingers flying across the keyboard. "Can you...?"

"Sure," Shamika replied, gathering up her own laptop and heading for the door. Behind her, Alec was picking up a phone and calling someone.

"Nate? Yeah. I have a lead for you."

**

Hanging out with Parker meant afternoons at a climbing gym. Alec cautioned her not to scream if she could help it.

**

Every eye turned towards Eliot and Shamika when they walked into Earlinda’s House of Style. “Are you sure about this?” Shamika whispered. There was a trio of older Black women sitting beneath hair dryers who were chattering to each other like magpies without taking their eyes off them.

“It was either going to be me or Alec,” Eliot muttered. “Parker’s not always good with the girl thing.”

“True,” Shamika replied, remembering a memorable afternoon of shopping with the pretty blonde woman. Parker had made at least one sales girl cry before Shamika had grabbed some clothes and hustled to the cashier. “You know, I can do my hair myself.”

“Can’t hurt for me to lend a hand,” Eliot said.

A tall Black woman walked up, decked out in chic denim and wearing fashionable black glasses. “Can I help you?” She was friendly but cautious.

“Yes, ma’am. Name’s Eliot Spenser. I called about a week ago about some hair lessons.”

“Oh, oh yes! I remember you, Mr. Spenser.”

“Mr. Spenser’s my father. Eliot’ll do.”

Shamika rolled her eyes as Eliot turned on the charm.

“Eliot then. I’m Earlinda. Welcome to my shop.” She smiled at Shamika. “And this is your daughter.”

“Shamika. Hi.” She held her out hand when Eliot gave her nudge. Earlinda shook it and gestured towards the rear of the shop.

“If you just follow me, I have a station set up for you in the back.”

As they walked by the ladies sitting beneath the dryers, there was an audible sigh and then,

“Mmm hmm, that is a fine ass white boy.”

Followed by:

“I’d hit that.”

Shamika whipped around. “He’s got somebody. In fact, two somebodies so you can just let it...mph!”

Eliot’s hand covered her mouth before she could get the rest of the words out and he waved at his new found fan club. “Sorry, she’s a little excitable.” He hustled the irate girl behind the curtain. “Really?”

“Listen, those thirsty...”

“Language!”

“She’s not wrong, Eliot,” Earlinda said with an amused snort.

**

Alec pulled up to the school in Lucille and put her in park. Shamika looked tentatively at the kids running around outside then back at where Eliot and Parker were tucked in the back.

“C’mon then,” Alec said. They piled out of the van and Shamika pulled her back pack up and settled it on her shoulder.

Parker got to one knee and tugged Shamika’s shirt collar to straighten it. “First day. You’re gonna be fine.”

“You’re not going to cry or anything, are you?” Shamika asked. “I mean, I’m the new kid. It’s gonna be hard enough without the tears.”

“Don’t want to ruin your non-existent street cred,” Alec quipped. “Gotcha.”

There was a long suffering sigh, then Shamika squared her shoulders and marched towards the front door.

“We’ll be back to pick you up,” Eliot called.

Shamika didn’t turn around but she did hold up her arm and made a furtive waving motion at them.

“Think that’s our cue to go.”

They turned towards the van just as Parker let out a suspicious sniffle.

 

 


End file.
